Before the start of the 2016 New Orleans Pride Parade, hundreds gathered on Elysian Fields Avenue to remember the names of the 49 victims who died in the Orlando nightclub shooting.

Among the victims were three of Spencer Duhm and his fiance's friends. The couple flew to New Orleans from Orlando to celebrate Pride weekend and honor their friends who were at Pulse nightclub last Sunday.

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"My best friend called me frantically at 2:40 in the morning and couldn't talk. Our other two friends were in there, and we didn't know where one was. One got out, had multiple gunshot wounds and was breathing, but on his way to the hospital, turns out our friend died on arrival at the hospital, and the other one was dead on the floor at the club," Duhm said.

The couple said they met at Pulse nightclub three-and-a-half years ago.

As the days after the Orlando massacre go by, and LGBTQ communities around the country continue to celebrate Pride through the month of June, Duhm remembers one thing.

"We are not afraid to go. We are not afraid to go," said Duhm.

In the French Quarter, tourists mingled with revelers in all kinds of rainbow garb. Participants said they are celebrating the progress of the gay rights movement while honoring the victims.

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